Suggest modification to this talk

Title

Description

Shifting from an amateur web developer hacking away at my own projects in my living room to a professional Software Engineer at a startup in San Francisco was a huge change in the way I developed. After joining Mavenlink a year ago I went from tiny apps that were 100% my code, with fast test suites, hosted on Heroku to a giant Rails app with a complicated data model, a CI test suite that took an hour, and a legacy codebase touched by 30+ people. I've worked hard the last year to step up to the challenge and I've learned so much in the process. As the developer pool gets more and more junior there will be more people making the same journey as I did.

In this talk I will cover:

skills that are important (some I had, others I had to develop)
iteration planning
testing
debugging/support
polyglot skills
contributing to a team much more skilled than you
pair-programming with someone much more senior or junior than you
how culture at Mavenlink has helped me succeed
what you can do to help onboard and train up your Junior Developers
things you should look for in a Junior Developer candidate

Help us caption & translate this video!

http://amara.org/v/FG8a/

Date

Summarized using AI?

If this talk's summary was generated by AI, please check this box. A "Summarized using AI" badge will be displayed in the summary tab to indicate that the summary was generated using AI.

Show "Summarized using AI" badge on summary page

Summary

Markdown supported

In the video "Getting called up to the Majors," Reid Gillette shares his journey from an amateur web developer to a professional Software Engineer at Mavenlink, a startup in San Francisco. He discusses the significant transition from developing small, personal projects to working on a large, complex Rails application alongside a skilled team. Throughout the talk, Gillette highlights the importance of mentorship, collaboration, and continuous learning in a developer's career.

Key points discussed include:

- **Finding Mentors:** Gillette shares his experiences with mentors like Felix, who introduced him to Ruby on Rails, and Chris, a colleague with a different background. He emphasizes the value of surrounding oneself with experienced developers for support and encouragement.

- **Company Culture and Pair Programming:** At Mavenlink, a culture of pair programming is pivotal to their workflow. Gillette outlines how pairing allows junior developers to learn alongside seniors, helping bridge knowledge gaps and facilitating skill development.

- **Adapting to New Environments:** Gillette discusses his first month at Mavenlink, where he felt out of place but learned to adjust his coding style to align with his new team's practices, emphasizing the importance of adaptability in a junior developer's role.

- **Constructive Feedback and Learning Methods:** He describes the 'ping-pong pairing' technique, where developers alternate roles, promoting active engagement and deeper understanding. He also advises juniors to ask questions and not hesitate to take the lead during pairing sessions, which fosters confidence and growth.

- **Selective Hiring of Junior Developers:** The selection criteria for junior developers should focus on passion and a genuine desire to learn, rather than just seeking financial rewards. Gillette believes that identifying candidates with a strong interest in engineering leads to better team dynamics.

In conclusion, Reid Gillette stresses the significance of mentorship, collaborative work environments, and continuous learning as key drivers for success in the software development field. He encourages junior developers to seek mentors, engage in pair programming, and actively participate in their learning journey while emphasizing the need for supportive and flexible company cultures. His own journey exemplifies the opportunities that arise when one is willing to learn and grow within a community.

Cancel